Kerala Startup Entrepreneurs Clash With CITU Over Obstructive Labour Practices In Kochi

Kochi, Kerala: Young entrepreneurs from Kerala, establishing their startup in Kochi, sought to unload a consignment of glass sheets intended for an office renovation in Marad on Saturday.

They had reportedly followed all safety and logistical protocols, including GST compliance, permits, and transportation fees. But once the truck arrived at the site, CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) workers insisted that only union labour could perform the unloading, despite having no proven experience in handling such sensitive items.

The entrepreneurs said they had asked CITU to simply follow guidelines and, if needed, bring in skilled personnel qualified for the task.

However, CITU workers reportedly blocked the unloading, even stopping the skilled labourers brought in by the entrepreneurs. The team told the media that they attempted to resolve the issue peacefully, trying three separate times to unload the materials using their own arrangement, but were consistently obstructed.

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Kochi Police eventually arrived to mediate the situation, and Police officials even asked CITU representatives whether they could provide trained personnel for the task. While the union agreed to try and find experienced hands, the delay had already caused significant disruption.

The business owners voiced their frustration openly. “We’re small entrepreneurs trying to build something. We pay our taxes, follow the law, and still we’re blocked at every step. How can we operate when people stand in the way of our work just because of old union rules? If workers have rights, don’t we as entrepreneurs have rights too?” one entrepreneur told local media.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Kerala has long grappled with the controversial practice known as nokku kooli—a local term meaning “gawking wages”—where union workers demand payment for merely observing goods being unloaded, even if no physical labour is performed. Despite legal bans and High Court interventions, the culture persists in many parts of the state.

Earlier this year in Malappuram, a stone merchant was forced to shut down his business due to unaffordable loading charges demanded by union workers, reported Manorama News in February.

This is the perfect take for the situation Kerala is in right now. CITU also destroyed bigger retail shops as well. Now they are actively trying to kill the car show rooms by insisting on employing Union members to unload. https://t.co/z6VSfZbngH

— Adam_GoC (@Adam28428621) July 25, 2025

In Palakkad, a cement dealer who had installed a mechanised loading system with legal clearance faced obstruction from unions who claimed the machine was taking away jobs. The matter escalated despite a High Court order favouring the trader.

In Kannur, a hardware shop was forced to suspend operations after CITU members struck work in protest against the owner’s decision to hire non-union labour.

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And in Pathanamthitta, shopkeepers faced direct threats from union members for not hiring CITU workers, even when labourers had already been hired privately.

Kerala’s labour unions, historically linked to leftist political movements, have played a major role in securing workers’ rights. But critics argue that the current structure has become a protection racket, operating on coercion rather than principle.